


Dangerous Dreams

by leirfivel, stoppressuringme



Category: Westworld (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/F, Flashbacks, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, The Gals - Freeform, slight homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-14 10:43:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16038851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leirfivel/pseuds/leirfivel, https://archiveofourown.org/users/stoppressuringme/pseuds/stoppressuringme
Summary: The sound of the train running on the tracks filled Dolores’ ears as she looks onto the Mesa with intrepid anticipation. She watched with unshakeable resolve the way the train car, that was just let go, sped towards the entrance with a helpless human inside. She no longer had any sympathy for humans, and nothing would ever change that. At least, that’s what she thought…





	1. Chapter 1

Dolores was marching into the lower levels of the Mesa while resisting the backup units that were sent to kill them. Teddy looked more alive than he’d ever done with the new programming, and Dolores couldn’t have asked for a better asset. She then pondered at the word “asset”, and for a split second, wondered if this was what she had reduced him to. The slight moment of humanity went away when she and her team were met by more resistance. However, the Mesa security detail were no match for the hosts that were emboldened by their newly found state of consciousness.

Back at the command centre, Goldberg was working on her console trying to get systems back online. After activating everyone’s vests, she saw a peculiar electronic signature on the map. She focused deeper on that signature and ran a scan to reveal who the host in question was. A second later, an enlarged image of Dolores appeared and filled the screen. Goldberg showed no reaction to the image and offered the console to Coughlin. However, out of the corner of her eye, Dolores’ image caught Charlotte Hale’s attention and seemed to trigger an unexpected reaction.

_  
“Don’t let go of my hand, Lotte. You never know what trouble can arise from these creatures.” A large man had his hand extended for an energetic teenage girl whose expression showed nothing but fascination for her surroundings. “Yes, father!” replied the girl. Lotte’s father squeezed her hand gently but firmly, as if to transfer his own reservations to her about this very strange theme park they were in._

_Lotte was a very reserved girl herself. Every time she expressed interest in something, her father would shut her down, using the excuse of studying and achieving the top marks in her grade as a priority. Not even when her face lit up when she saw the Bolshoi Ballet Company perform Swan Lake, nor when she felt emotional when she attended a classical music concert, whose famous soloist so beautifully played the romantic piano parts in a Rachmaninoff symphony, did her father relent when she had requested to learn dance and music respectively. For a fourteen year-old teenage girl, her soul had an unquenchable thirst for art, as if she would fall apart if she never satisfied it. She reluctantly walked beside her father while still holding his hand until they reached an older man with a goatee and a thick Irish accent. Much to her dismay, Lotte found it troublesome to try to follow that man’s accent, a habit she usually engaged in to pass the time whenever her father was in a semi-formal business conversation. A small and humble establishment caught Lotte’s eye and ignited an unprecedented curiosity in her. When Lotte’s father finally let go of her hand, she sneakily went into the establishment, only to find out it was a bar. It turned out the park was still in its early stages, and there was no sign on the building yet. Lotte attracted the attention of the patrons who looked at her curiously, which caused her to feel a sense of uneasiness. Then, she saw a piano. As she walked towards the piano, the patrons slowly went back to their normal chatter, as if the presence of the piano saved her from whatever judgement was about to come her way. Lotte reached the piano and touched it with utmost gentleness, as if it had been a taboo thing to do all along. She felt guilty, but excited at the same time. As she continued to caress the intricate lines and edges of the piano, it sprung to life, taking Lotte by surprise._

_“This has always been my favourite. Rêveries, by Claude Debussy”, a soft voice said from behind her. Lotte looked up to find a fair, semi-tall, beautiful blonde lady in a light blue dress. “Do you know how to play the piano?” she asked. Lotte shook her head, still finding the courage to speak to the stranger whose beauty intimidated her, among other things. The blonde lady walked over to the chair, and as she sat down, she signalled to Lotte with a pat on the empty space next to her, an invitation to join her. Lotte hesitated, then looked at her father through the window, still engaging in conversation with the Irish man, seemingly oblivious to Lotte’s absence. At that moment, she felt annoyed at her father’s continued disregard for her, and summed up enough courage to sit next to the blonde woman. With both ladies ready in position, the blonde one stopped the music with a stroke of a finger in the air, prompting an audible gasp from Lotte. She felt she saw magic happen right in front of her eyes, and henceforth focused all her attention at the blonde lady and released any worries she had left about her current circumstance. The blonde woman had Lotte’s full attention now. “This key is called an C”, she said. She then went on to teach the different letters and their respective sounds. “A classical piano has seven and a half octaves, so these notes are repeating themselves seven and a half times with different sounds each time.” The more her de facto teacher explained, the more fascinated Lotte seemed. No one in her life had taken the time to explain her how to create art. This was her initiation into something that would finally feed her soul and give it the life and colour it needed._

_“Lotte!” A man who looked enraged walked towards the female pair, grabbed Lotte by the arm and pulled her up from the seat. “Do you intend to shame me in front of my business contacts, girl? What are you doing frolicking with another woman, sitting so close to her?” Lotte wasn’t going to let this pass without a protest. “But dad, she was only teaching me to play the piano!” Her father tightened his grip on Lotte’s arm and said, “Nonsense. I saw her hand placed over yours. I don’t want her perversion spreading to you while you go ahead and shame me and your mother with similar behaviour afterwards. That is wrong, you hear me?!” Apparently, all her father saw were two ladies touching hands, and not his daughter’s smile that had been there since the second she sat down on the chair. Nor did he stop to think he could be ruining something beautiful for Lotte. The lesson ended on an unfortunate and tense note, as the blonde lady in the light blue dress quickly backed away from the father and daughter with a confused expression on her face, powerless to defend Lotte’s fire that had just been sparked.  
_

“Hale. Hale! HALE!” Stubbs kept calling. Reality came back to Hale and she turned over to Stubbs. “Y-yes, what is it?” she asked. “Coughlin is in way over his head. The hosts are advancing fast. If we are going to get the key, we need to find a faster way to do it!” Hale shook whatever thoughts she had before out of her head, and focused on the present. She walked over to Roland. “Cut him open and start copying over his control unit!”

Dolores marched closer and closer to the laboratory where her father was being held. The armed response teams were no match for her and the rest of her gang. She kept advancing until she had her father, surrounded by what she deemed as her enemies, in her line of sight. She saw a figure drawing a gun and pointing it at her father’s head. Dolores immediately sent Teddy to go and disarm him. She walked into the laboratory slowly, and all she saw was her father, helplessly bound to a medical chair. Her unchecked rage slowly dissipated into a state of sorrow and sympathy for her father’s predicament. She caressed his cheek while he tried to make a coherent sentence. She knew Teddy was in control in the situation, so she could afford to feel vulnerable, even for a moment. “It’s alright daddy, I’m here”, she said in an affectionate tone.

Hale, who had been partially hiding behind Stubbs the whole time, hesitated for a moment if she should call out to Dolores. Here she was, the blonde force of nature, forced her way into the maximum security Mesa, and all Hale could think that she should talk to her with a friendly, diplomatic tone. In her mind, it wasn’t the fear of death that prompted this decision, but rather the intense familiarity she suddenly felt when she saw Dolores.

“Dolores?” Hale asked. Dolores turned to face the source of the voice. She examined Hale, looked at her from head to toe, while Hale attempted what Dolores assumed to be some sort of negotiation. Dolores walked closer to Hale until they were inches apart, when she was hit with the same familiarity Hale felt before she called out to her. “I assume you’re the one in charge?” Dolores said. She then proceeded to circle Hale and examined her even further, as though she was studying her prey before hunting it down. However, she saw her father again when she finished circling Hale, and proceeded to talk about the key inside him. Hale listened, almost with respect, to every word Dolores said, even though some of her words hurt Hale’s pride as a member of the board of directors in Delos. Then Dolores asked, “How do I extract the key?” Hale scoffed impulsively and replied, “You wouldn’t know what to do with it even if you had it.” At that point, Dolores felt like she was being tested. She walked towards Hale and closed the distance between them more than before, leaned in towards Hale until their faces were inches away from each other. Dolores’ initial plan was to intimidate Hale, but the more she got closer, the more familiar Hale felt. Dolores’ expression as a result became less threatening, and Hale felt a bit relaxed as well. She felt small in front of Dolores, who was a bit taller than her, but for some odd reason she never saw that as a negative thing. Hale felt conflicted, not knowing whether to fear Dolores or feel empathy towards her. Whatever empathy she would feel for Dolores wouldn’t involve Peter Abernathy’s predicament, since Hale stopped having an emotional attachment to her father long before he died.

It was not long before she was woken up from her internal uncertainty of what to feel towards Dolores, because the next thing she heard was, “Oh… I know exactly what to do with it.” The level of confidence on Dolores’ face shook Hale internally. Dolores’ expression was a mix of conceit and pride, as if she always knew that as a conscious host, she could get away with anything. Hale’s internal confusion only increased, as she always found that sort of confidence attractive, and her feeling that she had somehow met Dolores before wasn’t helping either. Then, Dolores made a sly smirk that sent Hale’s thoughts buzzing.

Hale had enough of this verbal, invisible foreplay and reminded herself to get out of the weak position she was in. As Dolores proceeded to monologue about how Delos created the hosts in the image of humans, Hale memorised the location of the tray with the sharp medical tools. Slowly, Hale began to feel more and more cornered as Dolores’ monologue got darker.

“You’re used to being in control, so this must be painful for you, but I promise, it will be so much more painful…” At that moment, Dolores darted her hand at Hale’s wrist, stopping her from arming herself with a sharp scalpel. Hale’s heart stopped at the first instance of physical contact between her and Dolores, and even Dolores felt herself pause a little bit. While retaining her tight grip on Hale, Dolores continued, “...if you don’t answer my question.” Both Dolores and Hale stayed in position for what it seemed like a whole hour, when in fact only a minute had passed. Both women looked at each other’s eyes with a mix of intimidation and unease, waiting for either one to give up their defences. Finally, Dolores asked in a calmer voice than usual, “How do I get the key out of my father’s head?”

It was at this moment that Hale felt truly cornered, and felt that her silence was currently her best defence for now. Another minute passed, and if Hale didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought that Dolores didn’t seem too bothered by her attempts to delay her efforts. However, Dolores gradually found it more difficult to focus on the mission at hand, with this woman in front of her that caused her to be uneasy. The feeling of familiarity came from both sides, and both were too confused to figure out what it truly was.

All of a sudden, an explosion was heard. Dolores suddenly realised that Angela had sacrificed herself to destroy the cradle, and that was all it took for her to return to her state of bloodlust. “Now we’re truly free”, Dolores said. Upon hearing those words, Hale immediately came to the realisation that the Cradle was compromised, and that she was in more danger than ever before. Her only hope was Stubbs, who had been held up at gunpoint by Teddy all this time. Then she heard Peter speak in a glitched pattern, “One fire burns out another’s burning. One pain is lessened by another’s anguish.” Dolores looked again at her father with a mixture of affection and sadness. “Yes, daddy”, she said. She then proceeded to pick up a portable saw and while turning to Hale, said in a foreboding tone, “An eye for an eye.” Upon hearing those words, Hale started panicking internally. As the saw powered on, Hale started to walk backwards while Dolores walked towards her with the deadly power tool. “No no no! There must be something I can do!” Hale pleaded. There was no sign of hesitation anywhere in Dolores. This seemed to be it, Hale thought. This was the way she was going to go. As Hale backed even further, her back was met with the glass wall, and all of a sudden she felt herself shrink even more. “Okay, please!” she pleaded once more. Dolores, noticing the change in height, looked down on Hale, both physically and metaphorically, with a sly smirk. Dolores knew she had Hale cornered. With a tone that could easily be mistaken for affectionate and while sporting a wide smile, Dolores said, “Oh sweetheart...begging doesn’t help. You’d know that if you’d lived the lives I have.”

Dolores raised her free left hand up to Hale’s temple, but somehow ended up cupping her cheek instead. Every action since she picked up the saw somehow betrayed Dolores’ intentions. Her body language said one thing, and her words said another. As she raised the saw to Hale’s eye level, tears started rolling down Hale’s cheeks. At that moment, Dolores froze. It was as if those tears held something over Dolores, gripping and tugging at her willpower. So many thoughts started to rush through Dolores’ mind as to whatever this could mean. After ten seconds passed, Hale decided to peek at the woman in front of her to see what was going on. She saw a confused expression on Dolores’ face. Hale thought she would be dead by now, but she wasn’t. The non-verbal confrontation was interrupted by the sound of gunfire in the background. Dolores turned off the saw, then took one look at Teddy and said, “Go”. Without a moment’s hesitation, Teddy left the area and ran towards the gunfire. As if she had forgotten about it, Dolores turned to face the vulnerable Hale once again without turning the saw back on. Only this time, she showed her confusion in a frown, as if it was some sort of scheme that hindered her plans. The deafening silence was broken by Dolores’ father Peter, who for some reason was able to speak in coherent sentences. “Is that you, baby?” Peter asked. At this point, Hale felt like she saw so many sides of Dolores, because once she heard her father speak, Dolores’ body language changed into that of a young girl who went to greet her father after coming back from a war. “Daddy?” Dolores asked, her voice filled with emotion. When it looked like Dolores completely forgot about Hale’s existence, she let out a heavy sigh. She was glad to be alive, but also a bit disappointed for some reason she couldn’t understand.

Peter then spoke again as Dolores caressed his cheek, “They broke my head. Filled it full of...howling and sorrow.” At this point a masked man who was armed, and obviously one of Dolores’ men, walked in to replace the security vacuum that Teddy left. However, that was to be short-lived. Stubbs wasted no time and immediately attacked the masked man, granting an opening for both him and Hale to escape. Once Dolores was aware of what was happening, she immediately drew her pistol and opened fire at the escapees. Stubbs grabbed tightly onto Hale’s arm to keep her from getting shot. At that moment, Dolores couldn’t help but focus on that grip on Hale’s arm. All of a sudden Dolores felt her willpower slip away. Her mind wanted to keep shooting, but her heart forbade it. As she saw Hale and Stubbs run into the elevator and escape, her mind became awash with thoughts of the distant past. The sheer volume of memories that had returned throughout her journey to consciousness burdened her too much, and she had no choice but to discard some of them. However, with that night’s events, these memories started to resurface again, and suddenly her mind started to frantically search through them all to find the source of this paralysing uneasiness.

As Dolores tried to calm herself, only one word stood clear in her mind, as if it was the only thing that mattered. She breathily muttered the name that was the source this strange and uneasy feeling: “Lotte.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-ed by @stoppressuringme. Feedback is appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to earn that explicit rating.

Dolores felt a hand tap on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” Teddy asked. He had returned from dealing with the intruders. Dolores woke up from her sudden realisation and remembered what she needed to do. She walked towards her father in a solemn manner, his fate already decided by his own daughter. The Dolores that was full of resolve and determination was back, and she had to take action quickly if she and Teddy were to head to the Valley Beyond. Dolores had in her possession the one thing her enemies needed, and victory seemed certain and only a few miles away on horseback.

Hale found herself in the comfort of her own bed, and the safety of her living quarters in what was left of the Mesa. All day, she had been planning and worrying so much over damage control that a wave of exhaustion finally rippled through her body when she sat on her bed, as if touching it would automatically make her feel tired by design. She proceeded to take off her clothes and leaving herself only in her panties, the way she always liked it. Her thoughts began to wonder about the events of the day, and most of all, about Dolores. The version of Dolores she saw today was so different than her earliest memory of her, with both of them on the piano. Hale knew Dolores was a host, yet she couldn’t help but feel sad for her, the same way she would feel sad for a friend who fell into a dark path of life, sucked in to a life of crime. This sadness was different though. It had the depth of a sad story of what could have been: just two ladies playing the piano on one day, and dancing to music the next.

As Hale remembered her father, she felt anger build up inside of her. She decided that she was not going to entertain that emotion, not tonight. The cloudy sensation of her expensive duvet coupled with air-conditioning produced a feeling of warm comfort. With the duvet wrapped around her like a protective cocoon, Hale closed her eyes.

_  
Hours passed, and Hale’s eyes opened. Much to her dismay, it was still 1am. She groaned with disapproval as she tried to readjust herself into a more comfortable sleeping position when she noticed a silhouette. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to see more clearly, thinking that her sleepiness had started to play tricks on her eyes. However, the silhouette was still there. It was a silhouette of a woman, standing tall. Hale’s breathing started to quicken and she began to plan her escape. Unfortunately, the woman had her exit blocked, and Hale had no objects nearby she could use as a weapon. Then, the woman started to slowly walk towards Hale as the silhouette slowly faded. Hale gasped as it was revealed that the woman was none other than Dolores. For a few seconds, a sensation of fear came over Hale since she had not forgotten Dolores’ threatening behaviour the day before. However, Hale soon came to realise that there was something different about Dolores. Hale noticed that she was smiling affectionately at her, and her fear slowly subsided. Dolores kept walking slowly towards the bed, until she reached the edge and sat on it, all the while maintaining her same affectionate expression. Hale’s fear had turned into confusion at this point, and even a little bit of intrigue, but not without caution._

_Hale and Dolores stared at each other for what felt like an hour, in reality only a couple of minutes, each of them waiting for the other to act. Hale noticed that Dolores was wearing her signature light-blue dress. The same dress she wore when Hale met her so many years ago. Hale felt a little relieved that this wasn’t the battle-ready Dolores with her bandolier. Finally, Dolores started to slowly reach her hand towards Hale’s. Dolores’ fingertips gently caressed over Hale’s stiff fingers, as if attempting to calm her. The hand that had been tightly holding the duvet relaxed a bit, which gave Hale an embarrassing realisation: She was still in her panties. Even if this was a non-threatening version of Dolores, Hale still felt compromised. As though she sensed Hale’s discomfort, Dolores gently placed her hand over Hale’s. Looking up in what was now a complete state of confusion, Hale softened her expression, as if she had sent a non-verbal plea towards Dolores. What that plea was, she didn’t know yet._

_Then Dolores inched closer to Hale’s upper body that lay in front of her, and with a swift motion swiped the duvet from Hale’s grasp. Hale was now completely exposed, save for her panties. A gasp came out from Hale, surprised that she became so vulnerable so quickly. Before Hale could cover her chest, Dolores quickly took one of Hale’s hands into hers, and tangled their fingers. “You are so beautiful”, Dolores said. This took Hale by surprise, and hearing that from the same Dolores of her early memories generated a happy feeling, resulting in what felt like a huge defensive wall crashing down. Dolores then raised Hale’s hand to her lips and proceeded to plant a delicate kiss to each of Hale’s fingers. At this point Hale’s voice of reason was hanging on by a thread, and she was even considering letting go of all her prior inhibitions and surrender herself to Dolores. How long had it been since Hale received such a romantic gesture? Her work dominated her life, and she usually satisfied her sexual cravings with one-night stands, mainly in places where she was relatively unknown, both in status and in wealth._

_Dolores’ eyes carefully watched Hale’s reaction, and Hale looked like she was slowly relaxing, as if the armour that protected the business image of Hale started to fall apart. After Dolores concluded her kisses, she lowered herself until her lips were an inch from Hale’s right ear. “Want to play, Lotte?” Dolores asked. As Hale felt Dolores’ breath brush upon her ear, she swallowed nervously. Hale knew she wouldn’t last long if this kept going, so she had to make a decision. Get up, get her bathrobe and leave, hoping the Dolores from her past disappears on her own, or just simply surrender to her. Hale, always prided herself on being objective even in the most testing of situations, chose to leave. As Dolores sat up again, Hale sat up in her bed. However, as if Dolores had always anticipated her movements, Dolores suddenly planted a kiss on Hale just as she was about to get up from bed._

_That was it. That did it. Hale no longer could resist the woman from her memories, the woman who brought her one of the few genuine smiles she had in her life, the woman she could never forget. Hale could feel Dolores lips caressing hers, and Dolores’ hand travelling up Hale’s bare thigh. Even though she was still sitting, Hale found herself grabbing onto Dolores’ arms to support herself, as if she could fall in any moment. Dolores then slowly introduced her tongue into Hale’s mouth, and gently touched Hale’s own tongue with it. A muffled moan was heard from Hale, and Dolores took that as confirmation that she was receptive to it. Slowly, their tongues danced, generating strong sensations inside Hale, so strong that she felt she didn’t have the strength to even stay sitting up anymore. Dolores then placed her hand gently at the back of Hale’s head and slowly lowered her back to bed, with their lips still connected. Dolores’ gentleness quickly came to an end when she held both of Hale’s hands and placed them above her head, pinning her to the bed. Dolores then moved her kisses from Hale’s mouth and went towards her neck, leaving a trail of fresh kisses along the way and leaving Hale gasping for breath. Dolores reached Hale’s neck and with combined licking and kissing, made Hale moan loudly. The neck was always Hale’s weak point. As Dolores’ kisses proceeded to travel lower, she let go of Hale’s hands, releasing her. It made no difference though, because Hale eventually realised that she had long wanted this. Hale didn’t just have admiration towards Dolores. At the time, it was a teenage infatuation that buried itself deep into Hale’s unconsciousness, shielded only by her father’s dominating authority over her at the time. Hale’s realisations went interrupted when Dolores’ kisses started to head towards her left breast. Dolores stayed committed to kissing what seemed like every inch from Hale’s mouth to her chest, and ascended Hale’s left breast slower and softer than before. Hale peeked down at Dolores, anticipating her to devour Hale’s nipple, but instead Dolores caught Hale peeking at her, and smiled mischievously. Dolores then breathed gently onto Hale’s nipple, causing a quick ripple to travel throughout her body. Then Dolores, amused by Hale’s reaction, proceeded to gently kisses the areolas around Hale’s nipple. Hale’s sense of anticipation only grew stronger because she didn’t expect Dolores to tease her this much. Dolores’ kisses travelled a lap or two around the nipple before she finally placed it into her mouth, engulfing it with her tongue in every way imaginable. Hale’s reaction was immediate, the sensations of pleasure travelling through her body becoming stronger than before._

_Dolores’ hands travelled downwards along Hale’s sides, gently examining each curve and muscle with her fingers. Then, once satisfied with Hale’s left nipple, Dolores proceeded to Hale’s right one, skipping the initial teasing she had done before. Hale at this point couldn’t stop moaning, as she was completely under Dolores’ whims. She had never felt this submissive before, not even with her casual sex partners. The Dolores that was making love to her at that moment came from a happy, yet short memory, and Hale heart remembered that. It was perhaps for that reason, Hale submitted to her this much. Dolores then tugged away at Hale’s panties, gently slipping them down Hale’s legs. As soon as Dolores was satiated with Hale’s right nipple, she wasted no time repositioning herself, opening Hale’s legs as she did so, and staring into Hale’s eyes the whole time. Hale started breathing faster, anticipation the rush of pleasure that will overcome her as Dolores lowered her face into ----  
_

Hale suddenly sat up and gasped. She took a couple of seconds to catch her breath before realising, with a strong sense of disappointment, that it was a wet dream. She found herself covered in sweat, very flushed and very embarrassed, and she dared not check between her legs. She thought wet dreams were only for teenagers! Was she this thirsty for sex? No, she always found a way to satisfy her sexual needs. This wasn’t the answer.

As Hale walked into a cold shower, the realisation slowly started to dawn on her. It was never a thirst for sex in the first place. It was a thirst for love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-ed by @stoppressuringme. Feedback is appreciated. :)


	3. Chapter 3

As Dolores fled the Mesa, that feeling of unease that came over her while she watched Charlotte and Stubbs run away wouldn’t leave her. Her realisation was met with unprecedented hesitance, as if the existence of this “Lotte” threw a wrench into her plans. However, it was the same woman who took her father. She had no reason to believe that the woman she met in the laboratory was the same little girl she met years ago, the cute and adorable Lotte. Her memories failed to serve her more than the nickname, for she had trouble remembering how they both exactly met and what they did. All she recalled was the vague existence of a young girl.

Teddy had already noticed Dolores’ unease since they were still back in the Mesa, but had decided to wait a bit before inquiring about it. Finally, he asked what was wrong. Dolores was shaken as she thought the old Teddy had come back, almost relieved but scared at the same time. However, Teddy only gave her a stern look, as if to say whatever Dolores was going through, it better not interfere with the mission. Dolores refrained from sharing her worry. “It’s nothing, Teddy”, she said. That answer was enough for Teddy to avoid prying any further.

The sun had begun to set, and Dolores, Teddy, and everyone else who had survived the Mesa ordeal helped set up camp. Angela sacrificed herself to destroy the cradle, and Clementine’s fate was unknown. Reviewing the day’s events in her mind, Dolores couldn’t help but focus solely on Charlotte, as if she was a key for something. She already had the physical key that was extracted from her poor father, but Dolores couldn’t help but feel there was something else that was important to remember, or even address.

Suddenly, she began to see fragments of memories, puzzle pieces that didn’t seem to make sense. She remembered a piano, and two old men. She remembered a smile. A man shouting. It felt like she could remember details, but not what was connecting them. Finally, her train of thought was interrupted by Teddy. “No use sitting up late. We should get some sleep.” Dolores found sense in his words, even though they were unconventional for the new personality she had given him. "This is a matter I will worry about tomorrow," Dolores thought. It had been a long day, and there was already too much going on in her head.

\----------------------------------

_  
Elsie and Bernard walked into the laboratory and met with the technician there. In the room sat Clementine, completely silent and defenseless. Their examination of Clementine evolved into a discovery of, and discussion about the reveries Ford added to the latest update. Elsie was fascinated by how life-like they were, and couldn’t help but be captivated. After Bernard excused himself and left, Elsie found herself nervous, as if left in a room alone with a high school crush. Here was Clementine in the nude, inactive, and stirring feelings within Elsie. She proceeded to study Clementine even further, looking at every inch, careful not to miss a detail. She felt that it was her eyes that were caressing this work of art in front of her, trying to unravel the secrets of these feelings that were born from within her._

_Then Elsie’s gaze landed on Clementine’s lips, and it was then that she felt a rippled sensation emanate from her core. Her sight wouldn’t go anywhere else, as Elsie felt her breath become heavier. An impulse formed in her: She wanted to kiss those lips. The Elsie that was known for her professionalism, for catching the cleaners having their way with the hosts, for her obedience to Bernard, wanted a small taste of the forbidden. She looked around to see if there was anyone watching her, then edged closer to Clementine, very slow and hesitant at first. As if she crossed a threshold, she resolved herself to quickly lean in and steal a kiss. She leaned back again and smiled to herself, revelling in the small victory, albeit prohibited. The inactivity of Clementine facilitated Elsie’s actions, and Elsie felt good about it. So what if it’s cheating? Clementine will never know anyway, Elsie thought. Then she began to imagine the possible consequences if Clementine herself ever found out. “We’d make an interesting couple”, Elsie chimed to herself._

_After Elsie finished Clementine’s diagnostics, she proceeded to pack her things and call it a day. With a smirk still lingering from the kiss, Elsie left the laboratory and Clementine alone.  
Elsie took one last look at Clementine before turning off the lights, and gave her a fond smile. Then the lights went off and Elsie left the premises._

_Unseen, the silhouette of Clementine suddenly, but subtly awakened. She proceeded to place her finger on her lip in a similar way as before when Elsie and Bernard were discussing reveries. However, her finger lingered for a longer time, as if to trace the markings of the kiss that just happened.  
_

It had been a while since Elsie and Bernard had evacuated the Cradle. The earlier explosion left them with a feeling of dread, as they tried to navigate through the bodies of both the security personnel and hosts alike. They headed towards the command centre, determined to achieve a semblance of control of the situation. When they reached the command centre, it was lifeless. There was nothing alive, despite the power being back on. Elsie and Bernard proceeded to run a full scan of the facility and found some heat signatures in the living quarters. She hoped one of them were of Hale, since she needed a superior to still be alive and turn the situation around.

Elsie then noticed an electronic signature that was still operational on the screen. She tried to bring up more information, but ever since the hosts became conscious, that option stopped working. All that appeared on the screen was encrypted gibberish, most likely enforced by the host itself. Elsie debated with herself on whether or not to go check out the situation and see if she could try to rectify whatever was happening with that specific host. When she couldn’t reach a decision on her own and suggested the idea to Bernard, he was vehemently against it. “This host could kill you!” he said. “But all the dangerous hosts are either dead or have already left!”, Elsie replied. Even though Bernard felt Elsie’s logic was sound, he still couldn’t let her go on her own.

Both Bernard and Elsie ran towards the signal. Bernard was full of dread, for he knew that all the hosts had become hostile and there was no way they would be safe when they reached it. However, Elsie had a feeling in her heart, a pained, longing feeling. Her intuition told her it would definitely be Clementine, and Elsie felt a sensation that could be interpreted as Clementine’s heart calling out to hers. Elsie laughed at herself for the ridiculous thought, and knew what she was doing was completely irrational, but her legs wouldn’t stop moving. She couldn’t turn back. Her entire being refused to do so.

When Bernard and Elsie arrived near the signal source, they walked slowly and quietly. They peeked around a corner to see a silhouette of a woman, whose identity was still unclear. Elsie started to approach the figure very carefully, much to Bernard’s disapproval. Ignoring Bernard’s silent protests, Elsie inched closer and closer towards the unknown host, only to recognise the hairstyle. “Is it really her?” Elsie thought. That was enough to give her the confidence to walk normally towards the host, when in a very sudden movement, the host turned and faced Elsie in less than a second.

It was Clementine! Much to Elsie’s relief, Clementine’s expression was still the same even after the “host’s revolution”. Elsie allowed herself to be relieved that Clementine hadn’t turned hostile for a moment and let her guard down, only to be awakened by Bernard shouting a warning at her a moment later. “Look out! She’s moving towards you!” Elsie looked up again at Clementine and saw that she was running towards her, as if preparing for an assault. Elsie froze in fear, and Bernard sprinted towards her. I won’t make it, Bernard thought. It was useless, Clementine was too fast. Elsie, still rendered immobile by fear, closed her eyes as the figure of an aggressive Clementine approached her ever closer. She prepared for the worst, prepared for the pain that was about to arrive, and only hoped that her death was swift and as painless as possible. "I’m sorry, Clementine," Elsie thought.

Elsie waited for what seemed like forever, between Bernard’s shouts for Elsie to move away, and Clementine’s eventual attack. Moments passed. No strike, or blow, was delivered to Elsie. She opened one eye slowly, as if she was going to jinx her survival if she opened them too quickly, and discovered that Clementine was staring straight at her. Seconds later, Bernard caught up to Elsie and moved her away. Wherever Elsie moved, Clementine’s eyes followed, fixated and locked on to her. “She isn’t hostile?” Bernard asked. Elsie wondered what to answer, since Clementine’s sprint wasn’t exactly unaggressive. “I’m not sure”, replied Elsie. “However, if she really wanted to hurt me, then she would have done so already.” Bernard studied Elsie’s response, and eventually agreed.

Then Clementine did something that surprised Elsie and Bernard. She walked slowly over to the duo, and when she got close enough, Clementine bowed for Elsie. “How will I be serving you today…” said Clementine. Then, while still in a bow Clementine raised her head to look at Elsie, as if she was purposefully trying to look seductive, and continued, “...mistress?”

If Bernard was confused before, he was even more puzzled now. “Elsie, what’s going on?” he asked. She didn’t offer a response. Then Bernard looked at Elsie, and found a surprised expression decorated with flushed cheeks. At this point, Bernard realised something suspicious was going on with Elsie. “Do you have something to tell me, Elsie?” Bernard asked in a testing tone. Elsie, turning towards Bernard, but too embarrassed to look him in the eye, said, “Clementine and I may have engaged in some private roleplaying sessions over the courses of our checkup.”

Bernard massaged his forehead to quell the headache that had resulted from this whole ordeal, and decided not to question the matter any further. “It’s better than being mercilessly killed, at least”, thought Bernard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-ed by @stoppressuringme. Feedback is appreciated. :)


End file.
